In general, in case where a plurality of elevators are provided, group supervisory control is performed so as to operate these elevators in an efficient manner.
In addition, in case where group supervisory control is applied to an elevator system with a plurality of cars operating in one shaft, what is the most different from an ordinary elevator system in which only one car operates in one shaft is that it is necessary to control the elevator system so as to improve its transportation efficiency while avoiding collision of the cars that are operating in the same shaft.
As a known elevator group supervisory control apparatus, there has been proposed one in which a car entry prohibition area is set for a system that performs a horizontally movable circulation operation so that a car is controlled so as not to come into the entry prohibition area (see, for instance, a first patent document).
However, in the known apparatus described in the above-mentioned first patent document, there is disclosed no means for improving the transportation efficiency.
Moreover, as another known apparatus, there has also been proposed one in which dedicated zones in which cars provide dedicated or exclusive services, respectively, and a common zone are set, and provision is made for a shunting section for shunting or moving a car from the common zone to a dedicated zone and an entry permission or non-permission determination section that determines whether the entry of a car from its dedicated zone to the common zone is to be permitted or not (see, for instance, a second patent document).
However, although in either of the above-mentioned first and second patent documents, means for avoiding collision of cars are described, no reference is made at all to how to deal with the condition of passenger confinement.
Here, note that the condition of passenger confinement is that when a car with passengers therein is stopped for safety, the passengers are made to wait at least temporarily while being confined in the car. This situation does not have to be completely excluded unlike a situation of collision, but might result in providing psychological uneasiness to the passengers, so it is desirable that such a situation be reduced as much as possible.
[First Patent Document] Japanese Patent No. 3029168
[Second Patent Document] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-160283